A war documentary stated that when the U.S. joined the war, U.S. naval officers rejected the idea of using convoys -- a tactic the Brits found indispensable years before.
After their hubris cost many lives and much cargo, they relented and started using convoys.
A error the British themselves made at the start of the war and learned the hard way
I take a slightly different view to the early resistance to convoy-strategy early in the war...
1. The USN, like everybody else, was short on destroyers needed to guard the merchantmen.
2. Those we *DID HAVE* were already convoying Lend-Lease over to the UK (or as far as the mid-ocean gap if you prefer).
3. It seemed unreasonable to conclude that German Type VII’s had the range to reach the US East Coast. The Germans created re-fueling, re-arming submarines, the so-called “milch-cows” that were analogous to USAF air tankers. I doubt the USN was aware of them or realized the implications.
4. Adm. King takes the hit for this. He hated the Brits and the feeling was mutual. So when the mistake got made he was the logical guy to pin it on by virtue of the politics of it as much as his position as CNO.